Timing belt

[PetrolDave]

15 hours ago, lyrics said:

It's a 140 HP. engine type EA211. 

On which the water pump is on the opposite end of the engine and not driven directly by the timing belt, and for which there is no evidence of premature water pump failure (I can only remember one example being posted on here).

 

When the Skoda dealer in Barnstaple offered to replace the water pump at the same time as replacing the timing belt I reminded them that the water pump is on the other end of the engine and declined.

[robs12]

From lyrics link:

"Compare to EA111 1.4 TSI, the new engine got rid of its main shortcomings. The stretching out timing chain was deleted and replaced with timing belt designed for entire engine lifespan (that is VW's official statement)."

[Michaeldavis39]

So in conclusion all VW, Skoda and Seat dealers here in the UK are ripping customers off by telling them that the timing belt needs changing every 5 years on engines that have a belt for life- no wonder its called rip off Britain. Wonder when anyone is going to wake up to the scrappage scandal next- I forget what year now but I wanted to buy a car for my wife that year- before scrappage car was £6k cash- Citroen C1, a few months later that same year and scrappage had started that same car was priced at £9k-- literally a few months later- every dealership in the UK ripped off the UK govt and when questioned about the price increase they blamed it on higher import pricing from the continent- oh really- what utter bull! Needless to say I did not buy a car with a 50 percent increase in price after just a few months.

Edited 28 October, 2021 by Michaeldavis39

[Giff]

 

I am considering buying an Octavia 1.6 TDI DSG whose belt and water pump were changed "only" after 3.5 years and 60K Kms. Could that be a bad sign and should I look for another car?

[Michaeldavis39]

Can you ask why the timing belt was changed after such a short time??

[Giff]

2 minutes ago, Michaeldavis39 said:

Can you ask why the timing belt was changed after such a short time??

 

Not really, the current owner is not the one who did that. But I can try to call the garage where the belt was changed...

[daftbugga]

On 08/11/2021 at 21:41, Giff said:

 

I am considering buying an Octavia 1.6 TDI DSG whose belt and water pump were changed "only" after 3.5 years and 60K Kms. Could that be a bad sign and should I look for another car?

It probably had the dreaded water pump problem , it makes sense at that age & mileage to change the belt whilst replacing the water pump.

 

[Giff]

7 hours ago, daftbugga said:

It probably had the dreaded water pump problem ,

is that a problem only affecting the pump, or is a bad sign for the engine as a whole?

[daftbugga]

3 hours ago, Giff said:

is that a problem only affecting the pump, or is a bad sign for the engine as a whole?

The problem is the water pump only .  Read the sticky at the top of this page & you will see water pumps failing have been a problem for some time, hopefully any replacement pump fitted will be the later, modified pump.

[Giff]

12 minutes ago, daftbugga said:

The problem is the water pump only .  Read the sticky at the top of this page & you will see water pumps failing have been a problem for some time, hopefully any replacement pump fitted will be the later, modified pump.

 

Ah, seems like I commented on a thread in the wrong section. The car I was looking at is a MkII from 2013, not III. Do the MkII also have similar water pump issues?

[adg1]

On 05/08/2021 at 04:37, threadbear said:

My 1.6Tdi is 5 years old in September and has just past 52k. Going in for a cambelt and water pump change along with MOT in middle of September. I haven't scrimped on servicing and don't wish to ruin what is a good car as intend to keep a while longer. 

Very wise, i ve had a slight water leak for a while now, the aux water pump was making a lot of noise too, so dropped the car to local indie VW garage for pump and leak (Bradburn Auto, nr Plymouth)

He found the engine driven pump was leaking and cam belt was fraying..... car is 5 years old and 100k miles, i've had it from new & intend to keep it until it dies.

 

Very glad i didn't follow the other cam belt replacement interval that other countries suggest.

 

Just one other thing, he said timing was out, the car is going a lot better now since he corrected that.

[Michaeldavis39]

I would have expected to change a cambelt too if the car had done 100,000 miles to be fair 👍. I previously had a Citroen C5 1.6hdi and cambelt change was either 100k or 10 years whichever came sooner- at 10 years belt still looked new and that was a diesel quite surprisingly, my father had his Fabia cambelt changed after 5 years and it looked like new too .

[adg1]

1 minute ago, Michaeldavis39 said:

I would have expected to change a cambelt too if the car had done 100,000 miles to be fair 👍. I previously had a Citroen C5 1.6hdi and cambelt change was either 100k or 10 years whichever came sooner- at 10 years belt still looked new and that was a diesel quite surprisingly, my father had his Fabia cambelt changed after 5 years and it looked like new too .

I wonder whether cambelt suppliers get changed quite often? i've known a few Skoda owners who have had Cambelts done at around 100 to 140k miles and all seem to be quite different in condition plus Skoda themselves spec a different change period to the UK importers.

[Michaeldavis39]

You could be right- every penny saved on each car adds up to potentially millions further along. I do find that buying direct from the manufacturer will give the longest life of any part too.

[PetrolDave]

56 minutes ago, adg1 said:

Skoda themselves spec a different change period to the UK importers.

At the time the engine is built (which is on a separate production line and probably in a different factory which could even be in a  different country - my previous Audi was built in Germany but the engine was built in Hungary) it's very unlikely that they would be aware it's destined for a car being shipped to the UK.

[adg1]

6 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

At the time the engine is built (which is on a separate production line and probably in a different factory which could even be in a  different country - my previous Audi was built in Germany but the engine was built in Hungary) it's very unlikely that they would be aware it's destined for a car being shipped to the UK.

Possibly, but something isn't quite right here, my cam belt was close to falling apart after 100k, yet others look like new after similar miles, i 've had the car from new and had no issues with water pump until the last few 000s miles, had that pump not leaked, i could well be looking at a written off car with a destroyed engine. 

[Michaeldavis39]

Just a little bit of info. I posted on this forum that I was told two different stories regarding cam belt change- first at 160,000 miles , now I am being  told its after 5 years. Well see a photo below of the printout I asked for at the time for evidence I was not making this up!

[PetrolDave]

There are at least three different stories re cambelt change interval:

- Cambelt is for life (EA211 SSP)

- Change after 5 years or 50,000 miles (Skoda UK)

- Check annually after 120,000 miles

[Michaeldavis39]

I think 160k is probably for life, this was from my car details submitted by dealer on their computer.

[Chathura]

I have posted two images/screenshots (see below) which give an idea about this.

1. According to Haynes manual, it's at 72 months (6 years) and
2. According to the Skoda Servicing chart, it's at 60 months (5 years) or 50K miles (whichever comes first)

In the Haynes manual, they say "it is strongly recommended that the interval be reduced as suggested, especially for vehicles used intensively, e.g. short journeys or stop-start driving. This explains why it is better to change the timing belt at 50K miles rather than waiting 72 months, because, I believe the Octavia MK-III cars many of you have are equipped with automatic stop-start when moving in slow traffic or near colour/traffic lights. It is fair to assume that each stop-start would add additional stress on the timing belt compared to a scenario where you drive on the motorway (constant momentum/torque in the engine).

 

 

I couldn't trust Marshal Skoda Northampton and the expertise of their mechanics even though they gave the service history of the car. Because they had missed or ignored the manufacturer's recommendations to perform certain services/maintenance work at the right time/mileage before they sold the car to me. Instead, they have postponed them until the next year when I come to get the car serviced under the service plan they sold to me.

 

Ignoring changing the brake fluid, DSG fluid and Timing + Water pump as per their own service/maintenance chart is unacceptable. They didn't at least recommend that to me at the time of the sale (at 54000 miles), maybe thinking that I would ask for a discount for all the maintenance work due at that mileage (Please refer to the second image in Green).

 

Then in the next year when I went to claim the first service of the service plan I bought from them, their dealership garage tried to rip me off saying that I must get these done immediately and gave me a huge quotation. Those prices were more than double the prices given in this Green colour chart, but I had no idea about the actual prices then. Without thinking much, I asked them to change the brake fluid and DSG fluid and I paid for those. Since they told me I would have to leave the car at the garage for 2 more days to change the timing belt, I drove off that day with the intention of returning to their garage a few days later to get the timing belt changed. That's when I started to study the vehicle and service/maintenance intervals! Thanks to the people on this forum, I learnt how Marshal Skoda Dealership & Garage in Northampton deceive people!! What I paid so far was double the price compared to another Authorised VW Garage in Milton Keynes. Even for the timing belt change, they quoted me £900+. So, I got it done at a local garage (with very honest, non-pushy people) for about £500.

 

The Timing Belt + Water Pump Kit was Gates Powergrip whereas Marshal Skoda Dealership Garage claims that they use OEM parts. But I do not know if I could actually trust Marshal Skoda Dealership and the level of attention their mechanics pay. They sold me the car at 54000 miles...according to their own service/maintenance chart, the Brake Fluid, DGS Fluid and Timing Belt should have been charged at 50000 miles. But they didn't even recommend that I should immediately get those done, probably just because they thought I would ask for a discount.

 

[Ootohere]

That green chart of generalisations was from 2020.  The DSG is not @ 4 years, and only at 40,000 miles if not a DQ200 with no oil change or a DQ381 with recommended / schedule of 80,000 miles.

The blue one is 2021. We are now on 2023 and prices are On application.

 

The Cam Belt Quotations can be all over the place. TDI with belt, tensioners & Water pump.

1.4 TSI, cheaper, just belt and bits, 1.0 TSI similar, 1.5 TSI longer labour time and some ridiculous quotes from £750- £900+

 

Service Desk staff need asked the question with the answer illustrated below the blue chart.

[adg1]

Mine was a company car, that i ended up buying, it was serviced to Skoda's service intervals and i did try getting Skoda to change the belt etc before i purchased it based on 100k miles, Skoda UK said its 6 years or 120k miles, this was in 2020.

 

The belt was changed at 103k miles because the water pump failed, it was already fraying.. car was mainly used on longer DC and motorways, it did have stop start.

 

Now it seems every 5 years or 50k.... 

[Gammyleg]

On 04/08/2021 at 22:11, seriesdriver said:

The timing belt itself is only part of the issue, many "cambelt" failures are actually tensioner failures.

My experience also. Never had a belt go south, only the tensioner or the water pump.

[Chathura]

4 hours ago, toot said:

That green chart of generalisations was from 2020.  The DSG is not @ 4 years, and only at 40,000 miles if not a DQ200 with no oil change or a DQ381 with recommended / schedule of 80,000 miles.

The blue one is 2021. We are now on 2023 and prices are On application.

 

The Cam Belt Quotations can be all over the place. TDI with belt, tensioners & Water pump.

1.4 TSI, cheaper, just belt and bits, 1.0 TSI similar, 1.5 TSI longer labour time and some ridiculous quotes from £750- £900+

 

Service Desk staff need asked the question with the answer illustrated below the blue chart.

 

Thanks a lot!!

 

A correction: The amount Marshall Skoda quoted is £899.82 (not £900+) and it was in January 2021. My car has a DQ250 (0D9) - 6 Speed DSG: I believe that 40K miles oil change applies to it. I bought it at the mileage of 51669 and the actual DSG oil change was done at 54029; after driving another 2360 miles since I bought it. Because I was dumb enough to trust their so-called "experienced, qualified Vehicle Technicians" too much

[Ootohere]

Oil & Filter with the DQ250.

& those with 1.4 tsi PHEV's might have the question coming on their DQ400-e & no Filter. Well a filter but it will not be getting done.

 

Now on Mk4 vRS with a VAQ (Front Diff) they are getting told @ 2 years if getting told. It was @ 3 years / 30,000  miles. 

There will be plenty out there FMDSH and not done.

Skoda / VW / SEAT / Audi Approved used cars, not serviced to recommendations, guidelines, schedules or to any actual regime by Dealership Staff often with little of a clue or bothering to learn.

That way customers can be treated as Mushrooms. Kept in the dark and feed Sh!te.